Resilient fruit-crate.



I. HILL.

RBSILIENT FRUIT CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN; 2a, 1913.

1 ,074,323 Patented Sept. 30, 1913. Q

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IRVING-HILL, or WALLACE, CALIFORNIA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30,1913.

Application filed January 23, 1913. Serial No. 743,791.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, IRVING HILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wallace, in the county of Calaveras, State of Callfornia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient FruitGrates;

and I do declare the following to be a clear, 7

full, and exact description of the same, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in crates used for shippingfruits of all kinds, the object of the invention being to produce ashipping crate for receiving the boxes or baskets of fruit, which cratewill be resiliently supported on its top, bottom, sides and ends inorder that the jolts and jars encountered by the same in transportationmay be entirely compensated for and not be such as will cause the fruitto mash, bruise and spoil.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing specification and claim.

On the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan view in section of the entire device showing the topof the outer crate member removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of thecomplete crate taken on a line X-X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detachedfragmentary view of one corner of the outer crate. Fig. 4 is afragmentary view of a modified form of spring from that shown in theother views.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 designates the outer crate provided with a door2 at one end held in position by suitable clips 3.

The numeral 4 designates the inner crate spaced from the crate 1 at thetop, bottom, sides and ends and provided with a door 5 adapted toregister with the door 2 and held in position by spring clips 6.Interposed between the crate 1 and the crate 4' at the top,

bottom, sides and ends are suitable springs 7 of any desiredconstruction. Disposed transversely across the corners of the crate 4 atthe top and bottom are springs 8 being secured on one side as at 9 tothe crate 4 and on the other side having rods 10 projecting throughslots 11 in the corners of the crate 1, such rods being provided withretaining nuts 12 on their outer ends. As will be noted, the boxes orbaskets of fruit may be inserted through the doors 2 and 5 into theinner crate 4 and the springs 7 give a necessary resiliency to the top,bottom,

sides and ends of said crate 4 to relieve thefruit from jolts or jars.Should the inner crate 4 attempt to swing or rotate in a circumferentialmanner as it would be inclined to do, when being carried in railway carswhich are continuously jolting and jarring and swinging from side toside, the springs 8 compensate for and overcome this tendency, thusholding the fruit against any form of jolt or jar which might beencountered.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of spring 7 which might be used in place ofthe spring 7, as shown.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects 'of theinvention as set forth herein.

In addition to the structure above described, I might make speciallybuilt crates just adapted to fit into railway cars and in that event,instead of end doors I would pro vide side doors which would be of asize and shape to conform to the side doors of the car. Also instead ofthe spring structure shown in the drawings, I would be able to userubber springs. Further the crates could of course be made of any sizeor shape to fit various designs of cars such as box cars, flat cars andthe like.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention.

I-Iaving'thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is: s

A device of the character described comprising an inner and outer crateeach prothrough the corners of said outer crate, as 10 vided With a dooradapted to register with described.v

each other, springs interposed between said In testimony whereof I affixmy signature crates at-1 the Hip, bottom, sides and ends, in presence oftwo Witnesses.

springs 'cisposec across the corners of the inner crate at the top andbottom thereof, v IRVING HILL one side of said springs being secured tosaid Witnesses: inner crate, rods on the other sides of said STEPHEN M.BLEWETT,

springs, said rods being movably projected 'CLARENCE M. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

